Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



l 2 Sheets- Sheet 1f C. HOWARD.

Breach-Loading Fire-Arm.

APatented Oct. 10,' 1865.

Witnesses.

2 Sheets-Sh-eet 2.

i C.- HOWARD.

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm.

No. 50,358. 1 Patented Oct.` 10, 1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HOWARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specication forming part ot' Letters Patent N0. 50.358, dated October 10, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HOWARD, of New York city,iu the County of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locks for..Fire Arms; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters ot' reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a side View; Fig. 2, a front end view; Fig. 3, a longitudinal central section;

Fig. 4, a transverse section on line X Y, Figs.

5, 6, and 7, the application of my loclcto fireaiIIDS.

Similar letters in the several f1 gures indicate corresponding parts.

My inven tion relates to an improvement in the construction of locks for breech-loading fire-arms designed for the use of metallic cartridges whereby the hammerA and breech-pin are concealed within the frame of the arm and move to or from the barrel, axially therewith, by the action of thetrigger-guard, arranged so as to remove the breech-pin from the barrel for the purpose of loading, which movement places the hammer at full-cock, and returning the breech-pin to its seat leaves the hammer at full-cock for the purpose of discharging the cartridge placed in the barrel while the breech was open.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my improved lock, I will proceed to fully describe the same as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

My improved lock is of a cylindrical form, as seen in Fig. 4, and is designed to be fitted within the barrel or frame of the arm, so as to move axially with the bore of the barrel and the front end of'the breech-pin to close the rear end ofthe bore and act as recoil-block of the cartridge placed within the bore.

A is the breech-pin, constructed with a spindle, G, on its rear end, over which the hammer D is placed, sufficient space being left between the two for a strong coil-spring, d, as seen in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the spring operating to press the cylindrical hammer forward and against the breech-pin A. A nut, f, on the rear end of the spindle C, bears upon the spring for that purpose. On each side ot' the breech-pin an arm, a, from the cylindrical hammer D extends forward and terminates in a lip, t', (see Figs. l and 2,) so that the breech-pin A remaining tirm, the hammer D, with its arms a, may be drawn back, as denoted in red, Fig. 1, which would compress the spring within the hammeragainst the nutf, soY that when the hammer D should be released the reaction ot' the spring would force the hammer to its seat with such force that the lipsz striking the rim of the cartridge would explode the fulminate and discharge the cartridge.

My manner of applying my improved lock to fire-arms and its operation is more fully shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

B is the barrel; F, the frame. I form a chamber in the rear of the barrel (which may be in the barrel itself or the frame) to receive my lock. Grooves e (see Figs. 2 and 4) being tted to corresponding projections in the said chamber, serve as guides for the movement of the hammer.

R the trigger-guard, which also forms the lever for. removing the breech-pin and cock ing the hammer, is hinged to the breech-pin at t. A bar, P, is hinged to the said lever R at s, and to the frame or barrel at r. l

'l is the trigger, hung in the usual manner.

The under side of the barrel or frame is open to permit the operation ofthe several parts, as also for the insertion of new cartridges or the removal of discharged shells.

When it is desired to place the cartridges within the bore of the barrel fordischarge, drop the lever R from the position in Fig. 5 to that denoted in Fig. 6, which movement draws the breechpin away from the bore of the barrel, carryingwith it the hammer, as seen in Fig. 6. rEhe catch n upon the trigger T enters a slot, m, (see Fig. 3,) upon the under side of the hammer, as seen in Fig. 6. In this position the cartridge I may be inserted in the bore through the slot on the under side of the barrel. When the cartridge is thus inserted return the lever to the position denoted in Fig. 5. The trigger will retain the hammer, while the breechpin will be forced forward against the cartridge, as seen in Fig. 7, which leaves the arm cocked for discharge. This operation il lustrates one of the great advantages of cornpressing the mainspring by the forward move ment of the breech-pin, as it will be readily seen the power of the lever increases as it is drawn up to its place, and the spring requires such increasing power to compress it, whereas were the spring compressed by the movement of the breech-pin back, as'to open the breech, the power of the lever would diminish while the power required would increase. Pull the trigger in the usual manner for'discharging lire-arms, as denoted in red in Fig. 6, which movement will release the hammer. lhe spiral-spring d within it reacting, as before described, will force the hammer forward, as seen in Fig. 5, the lips c' striking the rim of and exploding the cartridge. Then by again withdrawing the breech-pin, as before described, the disch arged-cartridge case may be removed in any known or convenient manner.

Thus I have produced a lock which may be placed within the barrel, wholly concealed, positive as to operation, and so simplein construction (being practically buttwo pieces-the hammer and spring) that it cannot by any possibility get out of order or repair. Other modes of application for my improved lock may be adopted, perhaps better than the one which I have illustrated; but this arrangement practically demonstrated has proved convenient and successful. Therefore, without coniining myselfto any precise construction of the arm,

What I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Gonstructing the breech-pin in the manner described, so as to unite in one piece the breech-pin and spindle ofthe lock, in combination with a cylinder-hammer surrounding the said spindle, and inclosing within itselfa spiral mainspring, and the whole constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described, so as to compress the spring within the hammer by the forward movement of the breechpin in closing the breech ofthe arm, substantially as herein set forth.

(JHARLES HOWARD. Witnesses:

JOHN E, EARLE, RUFUs M. SANFORD. 

